League round-up: Oster gives Saunders the perfect start
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Your support makes all the difference.John Oster's long-range strike in the 65th minute took a big deflection on its way in at the Keepmoat Stadium as it gave Dean Saunders something to celebrate after his first match as manager of Doncaster Rovers, the Championship's bottom club. Rovers beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to end a run of 19 games without a win.
"We got a bit of luck with the goal," Saunders, drafted in from Wrexham to replace Sean O'Driscoll, admitted. "It was vital to get three points. We've got quite a bit of work to do but we can improve no end on that performance."
Leaders Southampton were held 1-1 at Turf Moor, where Burnley led after 53 minutes through Charlie Austin. Substitute Morgan Schneiderlin, set up by the former Claret Danny Fox, rescued the Saints with an equaliser. Second-placed Middlesbrough were also held, 0-0 at home by Ipswich Town, which allowed Derby County, third, and West Ham United, fourth, to close the gap. The Rams beat Millwall 3-0, Craig Bryson, Jeff Hendrick and Steve Davies scoring, but the Hammers lacked a cutting edge and relied on a Mark Noble penalty, after Lee Frecklington had fouled Henri Lansbury, to beat Peterborough United 1-0.
Erik Huseklepp's first goal for Portsmouth, in the fourth minute of time added on, gave Pompey a late 1-0 win over Blackpool. Elsewhere, parity reigned in 1-1 draws for Hull City at Bristol City, Barnsley at Birmingham City and Reading at Coventry City, where the Royals' Noel Hunt and the Sky Blues' Lukas Jutkiewicz both missed penalties. Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at Watford, Ishmael Miller scoring.
League One
Charlton stretched their lead at the top to three points, beating Chesterfield 3-0, while Sheffield United, second, lost 1-0 at Wycombe.
League Two
Warren Feeney and Robbie Williams scored as Carl Fletcher's first match as the manager of bottom club Plymouth Argyle ended in a first win of the season, 2-0 against Macclesfield at Home Park. Performance of the day saw Southend United win 4-0 at Rotherham United to move up to third. Aldershot, who host Manchester United next month in the Carling Cup fourth round, lost 1-0 at home to Crawley Town.
Scottish Premier
Steven Naismith scored twice as leaders Rangers won 4-0 at Dunfermline, while a 25-yard strike by Joe Ledley set second-placed Celtic on their way to a 2-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Carling Cup draw, page 24
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